prepare for noms

Holiday Treats Part 1 CHOCOLATE!!

November 27, 2011

Saturday was Chocolate Walk in downtown Steamboat! I was also working. Luckily, Katie decided that it would be lucrative to make DejaVu part of the tour. Awesome! So we all baked a little bit. And everyone ate a lot of chocolate! Because there were going to be soooo many people, I wanted to make some things that were quick, easy and also tasty. The first thing that came to mind is something that I grew up eating at friends houses over the holidays. Chocolate Saltine Bark is both easy, relatively cheap and it makes a lot of little pieces. Perfect for the few hundred people we planned to cater to. Also, since we have a few vegetarians, a vegan and some gluten-free eaters in the store, I decided to tackle some Black Bean Brownies.

Both of these recipes are easy and yummy. Thus, I am starting the Holiday Treats blog series for the next few weeks…because I have a feeling there are plenty of treats to be made in my future! Also, I am pretty sure we are going to have our own chocolate party after Saturday’s success!

Chocolate Saltine Bark:

1 sleeve of Saltine Crackers

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 bag milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Cover a cookie sheet (one with walls) with tinfoil and grease well. Make a layer of saltines on the bottom. In a small pot, bring butter and brown sugar to boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour caramel over the saltines and bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle liberally with chocolate chips. Once the chips melt, spread them evenly with the back of a spoon. Put the whole tray in the refrigerator or freezer until the bark is hard, break into pieces and serve!

Ok, so the bark was by far a favorite at the chocolate table. And I wouldn’t even really call it baking it is soooo easy! This should definitely be on your holiday treats list! Salty and sweet!

Vegan Black Bean Brownies:

1 15oz can black beans (rinsed/drained)

1 banana

2/3 cup cocoa

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

A blender/food processor

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until done. They will be kind of fudgy regardless, so don’t worry too much about that.

^First of all, the brownies are not only vegan they are gluten free and fat free. That was a huge seller to many over-chocolated people that showed up throughout the day. I really like having recipes on hand for those who may be vegan, have a gluten intolerance, or are just trying to eat relatively fat free. Plus, I just like experimenting with weird things…but we knew that. And they were a hit! AND another really easy recipe.